Kasumi ni Tsuki no Hikari
by Hakugei
Summary: Vocalist Momochi Haku joins the band, Mangetsu, in hopes of achieving his dreams as a singer, but is there more to the band than he knows?
1. Song 1

**Hi! Long time no see! Here's my second shot at a Naruto fic. Shadow of Blood went pretty well. I like music a lot so I thought this anime should get another one. Well, enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: Never owned it**

**PAIRINGS: None (None that I've thought up yet)**

**Song 1- Tsuki**

_"It's been a week already and he **still** hasn't gotten over it,"_ the youth grumbled to himself as he headed for the train station to catch the last train back to his apartment. He tugged on the strap of his guitar case to shift it into a more comfortable position. This boy, of course, was no ordinary boy; he was guitarist for a band once known as _Asahi_. The band had recently disbanded due to the resignation of their vocalist, Haruno Sakura. Since then, they have formed a new band, _Mangetsu_, but were in need of a new vocalist.

_"Just give up, you'll never be able to find a vocalist up to standards."_

The words of their music producer rang in his head. The youth growled at the sting in those words. What did that guy know? All he did was record our music even if he did have some kind of relationship with Sakura-chan.

He had reached the station to catch the last train home. There wasn't anyone at the station except for one lone figure; and that lone figure was singing softly. The youth's blue eyes widened in amazement as the…boy, was singing one of their songs.

_"He…she, oh whatever, they sing better than Sakura-chan ever could."_ The youth hurried over to the person singing softly.

"Hey!" he said. The said person looked up and stopped singing. "Wow! You sing even better than our old vocalist! She always was off-key on the high register."

"Anou, arigatou gozaimasu," the other person said not used to people complimenting them on their singing. Then realizing who the person next to them was shot up their head and said, "Aren't you from _Asahi_, the famous J-pop band?"

"That's me, Uzumaki Naruto, lead guitarist in _Asahi_!" the guitarist said proudly. "Who are you?"

"Momochi Haku," the other said nodding again. "And, by the way, I'm a boy."

"Who cares? You're perfect!" Naruto said again.

"Perfect for what?"

"The new band we're forming!"

"Eh?" Haku was confused by the guitarist's statement. "New band?"

"Yeah! We're forming a new band called _Mangetsu_, but we don't have a vocalist. You want to join us?" Naruto asked with a goofish grin.

"Anou…" Although Haku did have some childish dreams about being a famous singer, this was too much for him to take in all at once. Still, he was having some financial problems in paying his housing bill, so…

"Come on, please! We're in desperate need of a vocalist and no one was anything promising, but you. Please, my life is on this band!"

Naruto was usually macho about things like this, but it was true, the band was his life. If they didn't find a vocalist, he'd lose any hope of ever playing music again. This was his dream from the beginning and always will be.

_"Is he like me?"_ Haku thought to himself. _Does all he want to do is make music?_ There weren't too many people like that now in days.

"Well, I guess it couldn't hurt…"

"Yatta! Ikuzo!" With that, Naruto grabbed Haku's wrist and ran back the way he came to the studio. _"Take that, Sasuke!"_

-X-

World-acclaimed music producer, Uchiha Sasuke was in the middle of some paperwork when the annoying guitarist, Uzumaki Naruto, burst into the office with a feminine-looking person in tow. He set his pen down and glared.

"What do you want, dope?" he growled. "I'm busy."

"Ha! In your face, Uchiha Sasuke! I got ourselves a vocalist!" Naruto boldly announced to the music producer tugging Haku into the office by the arm.

"Sorry to bother you," Haku said nodding his head. "I'm Momochi Haku. This guitarist offered me to be his new band's vocalist." The feminine boy shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another as the cold person in front of him eyed him.

"Hn, do whatever you want, dope," Sasuke said with a wave of his arm, though Haku could tell he refused to admit defeat. The feminine boy was taken aback when Sasuke suddenly glared at him with hatred in his eyes.

"Okay! Let's go, Haku! You can stay at my place," Naruto said happily while leading Haku out of the office. As the feminine boy turned around, he could see Sasuke's lingering glare burning holes in his back.

-X-

As the two, now one new, members of _Mangetsu_ left his office, Sasuke lost interest in the paperwork he was suppose to work on. True, he grudgingly admitted, guitarist Uzumaki Naruto, bassist Hyuuga Neji, and drummer Tenten had incredible potential in music and would be a waste if they were left without a vocalist since none of them had singing up to standards. Still, why did Naruto suddenly pick this Momochi Haku? No, nobody, no matter how good they were in singing, could replace Haruno Sakura.

-X-

"Hey, Haku is it? Since you're going to be with us now, do you want to sleep over at my place for the night?" Naruto asked as he and Haku walked back to his apartment.

"Oh really, I know my way back…"

"It's all right! Just don't mind the ramen cups."

Haku's nearly tripped as he entered the apartment. Naruto's apartment was a mess. There was trash everywhere and the dishes were piling up.

"You can use the couch for tonight," Naruto said indicating the couch covered in magazines and empty ramen cups. Haku didn't think that Naruto was anywhere near organized. The blonde laughed sheepishly and said, "Don't mind the ramen cups. I'll clean them up."

"It's okay, I'll clean up," Haku said as he started collecting the Styrofoam cups and throwing them away in a nearby trashcan. The blonde noticed the other's discomfort and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Something on your mind?" Haku turned to see the once cheerful boy now with a serious look.

"Saa, Uchiha-san doesn't like me too much, na Naruto-kun?" Haku asked. Naruto gazed at the feminine boy who had such sad brown eyes. He put a comforting arm around the other's shoulders.

"It's not your fault. Have you heard of Haruno Sakura?"

"Hai, she was your band's lead singer."

"Well, she left _Asahi_ several months ago. Sasuke valued Sakura so that's why he sort of doesn't like you. It's not your fault, it's just Sasuke and his hard head. Don't worry, you're going to help getting us to the top!"

Although Haku was grateful for the support, he wondered what would happen when he met the rest of the band. Would they think of him as a replacement to the beautiful Haruno Sakura? He could only hope that they would have a warmer welcome than their music producer.

**TBC…**

**Well, what do you think? Should I continue? Review kudasai! I'll be a man and start taking in flames. Oh, and sorry if I made Sasuke such a jerk. Don't worry, he'll get nicer as the story goes.**

Vocabulary

Kasumi ni Tsuki no Hikari- Moonlight in the Mist

Asahi- Rising sun

Mangetsu- Full moon

Arigatou gozaimasu- Thank you

Anou- has no meaning, but Japanese say this a lot

Yatta- somewhere along the lines of "Yay!"

Ikuzo- I think it's a casual way of saying, "Let's go!"


	2. Song 2

**Chapter 2 heading your way! I'm no expert on bands like this, so some things might be wrong. Enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine**

**WARNING: AU**

**PAIRINGS: Hm, still don't know**

**Song 2- Meeting**

"Naruto's late," the drummer said glancing at the clock. "Did he oversleep again?" The bassist shrugged with a nonchalant look. On cue, Naruto rushed in his guitar on his shoulder.

"Sorry I'm late," Naruto said while catching his breath. "Good news! I've got us a vocalist!" The other two band members still remained nonchalant, but both seem interested. After several months of searching, Naruto suddenly found one? "Come in, Haku."

The said person stepped in with his own guitar on his shoulder. He glanced nervously at the other two members. Both didn't seem to express any dislike in him, but they didn't seem happy either. He didn't know if he should take that as a good thing or as a bad thing. Then the girl at the drums stood up and nodded smiling warmly.

"I'm Tenten," she said. The other boy only nodded.

"Hyuuga Neji," was all he said.

"I'm Momochi Haku," he said. Tenten quirked an eyebrow in confusion before turning to Naruto.

"I thought you said you were going to get a girl," Tenten said.

"Hey! He was even better than the other girls auditioning," Naruto replied defensively. "Besides, it was either Haku or Yamanaka Ino."

At this, Tenten couldn't shoot another remark. Yamanaka Ino was an annoying girl who has been agitating the band to be their vocalist even though she was flat in her singing and would screech instead of singing high notes. The band had their suspicions that she was only doing this to get close to handsome Uchiha Sasuke, like the rest of the girls auditioning.

"Well, let's see what you can do," Neji said for the first time since he introduced himself.

Haku took out his guitar and sat on the floor. After tuning up the guitar, he played one of his favorite songs from _Asahi_, _Silver Wind_. The soft strums and Haku's soft voice made the song even better than the recorded version with Sakura as the vocalist. Naruto closed his eyes and smiled, Tenten whistled along, even Neji was tapping his foot to the beat. This was one of _Asahi_'s best songs as _Asahi_, and someone with such superior skill was playing it.

Haku strummed the last note in the song and opened his eyes. There was a silence in the room, before Naruto cheered, Tenten clapped politely, even Neji cracked a grin.

"You're in!" Tenten and said happily. Next to her, Neji grinned, something he rarely did. Haku smiled as he got off the floor.

"That was nice…" The feminine boy turned to see Sasuke standing by the door. He had the cold look from yesterday on his face again. "… but you will not be as good as her." With that, he turned and left the practice room.

A silence filled the room. The three former members of _Asahi _were staring at their new vocalist, who was only staring at the spot where Sasuke was. It was Naruto who broke the silence.

"Don't listen to that jerk, Haku. He's just a bastard who can't admit you're good!" Although the said boy knew the guitarist was saying that only to cheer him up, it lightened his mood enough for him to smile.

"Anyway, now that we have Haku, we can tell the public that we can schedule our first single as _Mangetsu_!" Naruto said. The three stared at the drummer in confusion.

"Isn't it a bit early to be thinking about that?" Neji asked.

"Hai, as _Asahi_, we waited for half a year before we released any singles!" Tenten agreed. "Why the sudden decision, Naruto?"

"Well, why not? It's obvious Haku knows our music well enough to play it better than we ever could-"

"We're _Mangetsu_ now, so we're not singing any of our old songs. If we want a song scheduled in a couple of months, we have to see Uchiha now," Neji interrupted.

"Well, we'll see what he thinks of this." The four headed out of the studio, Haku being the nervous one in seeing Sasuke. Ever since his arrival, all he got from him was a cold stare that seem to say, "You'll never replace her". Could it be that the music producer had a special relationship with the vocalist?

-X-

"You want to do what?" Sasuke asked while staring at the members of _Mangetsu_. "I can't write and compose a song and get you four up to standards all in two months! Besides…" The dark-haired music producer stole a cold glare to Haku, "How do you know that your vocalist is up to the task?"

"Trust me, he is," Tenten said.

"Yeah, he sang even better than Sakura-chan did!" Naruto piped up cheerfully. At this, Sasuke shot out of his chair angrily and grabbed the blonde by the collar.

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT AGAIN!" Sasuke yelled angrily. Haku stepped back afraid of what the music producer would do to Naruto. Neji calmly stepped forward and with one tug, released Sasuke's grip on Naruto.

"He does sing well, though," he said. "Give him a chance." The producer sat down in his chair thinking this over. Releasing a single so quickly was impulsive and the single may not be made in time, which would cause uproar in the media. His eye caught a CD concealed by the half-closed drawer. Maybe…

"Don't make me regret it," was all Sasuke said before motioning them out.

-X-

"Wow, I can't believe he actually agreed!" Tenten said in awe as the four left the producer's office. "I was sure he was going to think of it as a stupid idea."

"I must admit, that caught me off guard," Neji added. "Especially since…" the bassist stopped when Tenten shot him a look that told him to stop while jerking her head to the new vocalist. Haku, meanwhile, didn't seem to notice as he was deep in thought.

_"After being so cold to me, he's actually going to write a song for me?" _he thought in awe. _"Maybe he's not so bad after all…"_ Little did he know, there was more to the story than he was aware of.

-X-

_"Eh? I can't believe this! After all we've been together, _Mangetsu _is actually going to release their first single?"_ a distressed figure thought as they read the newspaper. _Mangetsu _was going to release a single within a couple of months!

No one, no band, could ever do something like this that quickly. Not even she could.

**TBC…** **How was it? I hope you enjoyed it. Review kudasai! Please put if you want any pairings in this fic because I can't make up my mind.** Preview: _Mangetsu_ get the scores for their first single, but why is Sasuke saying that everything is wrong? 


	3. Song 3

**Chapter 3 coming up! I'm on fire! Well, I hope you enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine**

**WARNING: AU**

**PAIRINGS: Still don't know, maybe some SasuSaku**

**Song 3- Mockery**

"Ohayou Haku!" Naruto called to the vocalist as he entered the studio.

"Ohayou Naruto-kun," Haku replied with a smile as he took in the view. After his first night with the band, Haku decided to move into an apartment nearby the music building. He still had to find one, though.

"Oh, ohayou Haku," Tenten said as she came in with a stack of papers. "You're just in time, Sasuke gave me these to give to you guys. Can you believe he already finished writing a song already? It's barely been a week!" Haku could hardly believe it himself; after all those cold stares, Uchiha Sasuke actually wrote a song for him that fast?

"Oh well, let's just hope he'll appreciate our efforts," Naruto said as he took his music sheet. His blue eyes widened at the musical notes written on it. He wasn't alone; Neji and Tenten were lucidly surprised also. Haku stared in confusion at the members' shocked reactions.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Anou, maybe he gave us the wrong sheets," Tenten said. "I'll go check." With that, the drummer turned and left the studio. Haku could only look at his new friends in confusion.

Presently, Tenten came back and said, "It's the right music."

"Well, then let's start practice," Neji said simply.

Haku was surprised as how familiar the three were with the song. Maybe they already had been working on it before he came around. He enjoyed singing the lyrics of the song. It didn't seem like the normal song lyrics crooning the dreams of a fan girl; it seemed to be lyrics of carefree feelings.

_"I like those,"_ he thought to himself as he hummed the melody.

-X-

"Wow! You're really are good!" Naruto said. "It's barely been a week and you already got it!" Haku smiled at the blonde.

"Yeah, let's call in Sasuke and see what he says," Tenten added. Neiji stared at her with one eye quirked. This would catch the music producer off guard. He grinned to himself. Perfect…

"I'll get him," Neji said and left the studio to get Sasuke. The bassist came back presently with him.

"You're ready already?" he asked in awe. Not even Sakura could get a song down that fast.

"Yeah, we'll play for you!" Naruto said. He gave the signal to Neiji who started the song. Sasuke could only watch as the four started playing with all their hearts. Haku, in particular, seemed to want to impress him. He was singing with a voice stronger than the soft one he used on his first day.

Sasuke didn't want to hear anymore. Haku's voice, although good, was mocking him. _This wasn't meant to be, he wasn't suppose to sing this!_ Turning abruptly, he left in the middle of the song.

-X-

"Come in," he said. The door opened revealing a familiar feminine face.

"Uchiha-san, was there something wrong with my singing?" Haku asked. "If there was, I'm sorry." Sasuke looked up at the boy. He sent a glare to him before bending down to the paper he was staring at.

"**Everything** was wrong," he said. "Although your voice was stronger than last time, you went sharp on the higher notes. Not to mention the mockery you made of the lyrics."

"Mockery? But Uchiha-san, I sang with my whole heart out."

"Does sing wholeheartedly cure you of the flaws you have?" Haku was taken aback by such harsh words. True the music producer had implied hatred against him, but never said anything until now.

"Why are you saying these things? Do you hate me because I don't sing like Haruno Sakura? Is that it, **Sasuke**?" Sasuke's shot out of his chair at them mention of the vocalist's name and the fact that Haku actually called him by his given name. Before Haku could react, he punched the boy on the cheek.

Both were in shock about what had happened, one on the floor with a bruise and the other staring at his fist. Haku got off the floor as if the bruise didn't affect him. He bowed his head until his long hair covered the bruise and said, "I will work on my flaws, Uchiha-san." With that, he turned and left the office vowing that he will be true to his word and perfect the song.

-X-

Naruto heard a knock on the door while he was eating dinner. He put down his cup of ramen and stood up. He opened the door revealing a distressed Haku.

"Doushita no?" he asked with concern. Haku nodded silently, though his face betrayed him. His blue eyes narrowed. "It was that jerk Sasuke wasn't it?" The feminine boy's head shot up at the mention of that name. Knowing that he couldn't hide the truth, he nodded.

"Uchiha-san told me that… that there was everything wrong about my singing," he said tears welling up in his eyes. "I don't get why he's so cold to me! What did I do?" Naruto put a comforting arm around the vocalist.

"I-I am sorry if I'm troubling you, Naruto. I-I know it's really childish of me to be burdening you with my troubles…"

"No, it's not your fault," he said, "Sasuke is just particular about standards."

"It's not only that! He seems to be glaring at me at everything I do even when we're taking breaks! I don't get what his problem is, but he didn't have to hit me!" As if he had blurted out something top-secret, Haku instantly covered his mouth.

"Nani?" Spotting the discolored skin quickly, Naruto brushed away the side lock covering the bruise. The feminine boy turned away in shame of his lucid weakness state.

"Kuso! He can never get over things, can he!" the normally cheerful boy yelled in anger slamming his fist on a nearby table. "Don't believe a word he says, Haku! That jerk is too macho to admit that he's jealous!"

"Oh, I know," Haku said his voice cracking. "It's just, it hurts…"

Naruto gently placed an arm around the boy's shoulders and gently soothed him. It would seem that he was an insecure boy who wanted to please his authorities more than ever. Even Sakura, who was also a Sasuke fan, questioned the producer's motives. It would seem that Haku had more dedication than the band had presumed.

"Haku, let's work on the song, and tomorrow, you can show that jerk that you can be as good as Sakura! You can do it!" Naruto declared. Haku brightened up slightly, but he still had his doubts of ever pleasing Uchiha Sasuke.

TBC… 

**I hope that was okay. Review kudasai! **

Preview: Recording has to start soon, so Sasuke decides to give Haku a shove in the right direction


	4. Song 4

**Chapter 4! This time, Sasuke and Haku get to spend some quality time together. Enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine**

**WARNING: AU (DON'T LIKE DON'T READ)**

**PAIRINGS: Still don't know**

**Song 4- Pitch**

"You're getting better, Haku," Tenten said as the band was breaking down the song so that he could improve the song verse by verse.

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Tenten-chan," Haku replied nodding his head. Naruto glanced nervously at the vocalist. The boy had been pulling all-nighters to make sure every note was on pitch, time, and pronounced clearly. Not even Sakura had such dedication in music. Every week, the band sent Sasuke tapes of them, each one of them returned with a post-it note saying, "Not good enough".

"Minna." The four stopped as Uchiha Sasuke entered the studio clutching onto a stack of papers. "I just received the schedule from the boss today." Turning to Haku, he said, "Momochi-san, you will have intense training with me for the next few days. Meet me here tomorrow at 6. Recording **has** to start soon."

"Ha-Hai, Uchiha-san," Haku replied. The other three band members stared at their vocalist. Could the fragile Haku take Sasuke's intense training? All three of them already went through that for their music, could Haku deal with improving his voice?

Turning to the other three band members, he said, "I want all three of you to hand in separate tapes recording your parts on the song."

"Hai!" all three of them said in unison. Things were finally starting to get back normal.

-X-

"Are you ready?"

"Hai, Uchiha-san," Haku replied ready to impress the cold producer.

Sasuke played the instrumental parts that were combined last night. Haku started singing as best as he could, but after the first verse, he faltered on the lyrics.

"Again."

As Haku started singing again, he started shifting his feet while glancing at the clock at the same time. Sasuke also glanced at his own watch and realized that it was almost 1 now.

"Oi, Haku!" The door burst opened and a happy Naruto followed by an impassive Tenten and Neji.

"Do you mind, Uzumaki? Momochi-san still has work to do."

"Come on, Sasuke! The poor boy won't get any better if you don't let him take a break!" the blonde guitarist whined.

"Hn, it wouldn't do any of us any good if he didn't get anything to eat," Neji agreed holding up a bag of food. At hearing the bassist's theory, Sasuke stopped arguing. Haku was relieved when Sasuke announced a 30-minute break.

As the four ate their sandwiches, Sasuke could a particular interest in Haku. Sakura had also gone through the same kind training, but she would constantly complain about wanting a break. Haku was even more sensitive than she was, yet, in a way, he seemed stronger.

Perhaps there was more to the boy than it seemed…

-X-

"Thank you for making the sandwiches, Hyuuga-san," Haku said while happily munching on his lunch. The said bassist shifted slightly where he was sitting uncomfortable about people thanking him for such small favors.

"We could hear you outside, you're getting better, Haku," Tenten said as Haku took a sip from a can of juice.

"Since we're having slow progress, this session will continue until at least 1." Haku nearly choked at the thought of staying up so late.

"Come on, Sasuke! The poor boy's been pulling all-nighters for the past few days just trying to get the song right!" Naruto complained loudly. "How's he suppose to record if you're keeping him up all night!"

"You shouldn't be talking, dope," Sasuke replied with a cold stare aimed at the guitarist. The other three exchanged nervous glances. Maybe bringing Naruto in wasn't a good idea after. Haku quickly intervened and said that he was fine staying up late since he often did.

As he was finishing up his sandwich, Haku noticed that Sasuke was jotting down notes for the continuation of the session. He swallowed his last bite slowly hoping he was prepared for the next grueling session to come.

-X-

As the three days progressed, Sasuke noticed that the new vocalist had improved greatly. He could now hit the high notes on pitch and his rhythm had improved. His skill wasn't nearly as good as Sakura's, but his talent on this song could be on par, if not better, with that of Sakura's talent. Perhaps, for once, Naruto was right, his prejudices had blinded him from fact. He should be careful about that from now on, no matter how hurtful the truth is.

"Uchiha-san." Sasuke looked up to see Haku peering down at him.

"I think you're ready for recording," was all he said before leaving the studio leaving the feminine boy in shock.

Haku lit up instantly. He got his approval from Uchiha Sasuke! _Mangetsu _was ready for recording!

-X-

Neji gave the signal and Naruto started followed by Neji. Sasuke listened as the four played their hearts out. Haku, in particular, was doing the best he could to give the maximum impact to the song. For the first time since he met the vocalist, Sasuke allowed a smile to grace his normally cold features. Perhaps the boy wasn't so bad after all.

-X-

The sound of the tearing of papers filled the small apartment as the lucidly distressed person flew into a rage. She couldn't believe this; _Mangetsu's _single was on schedule! She had thought they had given up, but somehow, they managed to reach Uchiha Sasuke's grueling expectations! She had to put a stop to this, yes; she had to do something quick!

**TBC…** **Cookie to anyone who can guess who that is. Review kudasai!**

Preview: Mysterious threats are popping up, all saying to not release the single. What's going on?


	5. Song 5

**Chapter 5. Well, I'm certainly not stopping now. Enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine**

**WARNING: AU**

**PAIRINGS: Still don't know…**

**Song 5- Threat**

Haku and Naruto both entered Naruto's apartment wearily carrying their guitars on their shoulders before plopping down on the couch. Shortly after recording, the band was whisked from photo shoots to interviews and had little break between their tight schedule. Even Neji, the normally calm and collected one, seemed wearied down by the media press. Haku couldn't make it to his apartment without being run over by reporters, but Naruto had gotten him out of the jam by using an escape route through the trees. "It's a good thing they can't climb with those cameras," Naruto had said.

"I never took into account how popular you guys were," Haku said rubbing the tiredness his brown eyes.

"You're popular, too," Naruto replied as he dumped his guitar on the couch. "Anything in the mail?"

"Eeto…" Haku flipped through the large stack of envelopes from the mailbox. "Postcard, a lot of fan mail, and…" Then he stopped at the last letter. It had no return address, and yet, it was addressed to them.

"Nani ka?" Naruto asked as Haku set down all the fan mail while flipping open the letter. The feminine became pale as he read the letter. His hands started shaking as he read the scrawny handwriting. Naruto peered over Haku's shoulder and read the short note.

_Quit your job and don't release the single… or else._

"Who sent that?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know. There was no return address," Haku replied shakily. "And the note was typed, so we wouldn't be able to compare handwritings." Naruto took the note and read the threat. There was nothing familiar about the note.

_"What's going on?" _both of them thought together.

-X-

Neji and Tenten were playing some old songs when the two other members of _Mangetsu_ showed up. Both looked like they hadn't slept a wink. This didn't come as a surprise to either of them. Poor Neji had to get to his apartment using the air vent due to hundreds of fans crowded around his apartment building, and Tenten, who's apartment building was too far away for her to make it without being jumped by fans, decided to crash at Neji's place for the night.

"We've got a problem," Naruto said seriously.

"Yeah, we need more security," Tenten said sarcastically remembering how she had to the emergency exit to get to Neji's apartment.

"No, not that! This!" the blonde said exasperatedly while whipping out the threat note. Neji wearily took the note and read it. His lavender eyes remained blank as he stared at the harsh words typed on the white sheet.

"That's no surprise," he said. "We got quite a few threat notes when we were _Asahi_."

"Yes, but that was later when we released our fourth single!" Naruto argued now fully awake. "And those were directed at Sasuke, not Haku!"

"I don't know who's sending these and why," Tenten said as she read the note, "but there's no way we're going to not release the single. All of us intended to restart as _Mangetsu_, and that's how it's going to be, whether anyone cares or not!"

"Maybe we should report this to Uchiha-san," Haku suggested.

"As if cold head will pay attention to them," Naruto scoffed.

"Actually, I will."

All four looked up from their circle to see Uchiha Sasuke standing in the doorway. He wore a serious expression, but this time, it wasn't directed at no one in particular. In his hand were several other notes.

"These threats were found in my inbox," the music producer said holding up the notes. "All were pleading the office not to release your single. Is there something you know that I should?"

_Mangetsu_ exchanged glances not knowing whether to report the incident. After what seemed like an eternity, it was Haku who broke the silence.

"Someone sent me a threat note, too," he said handing the note over. Sasuke took it, and after reading it over, looked at _Mangetsu_.

"I'll have security up for the next few days. Keep a look out for any suspicious characters, and keep me updated should anymore notes come."

-X-

As the release date of the single drew closer, the band was getting less time to relax. While practicing for a live performance and going through interview after interview, the press overwhelmed the four members. The nosey media didn't spare even Sasuke. Radio stations were calling in asking for a clip of the song to broadcast. The cold music producers turned them all down not wanting any negative responses. _Mangetsu_ managed to get this far, and he was intending to let them get further.

-X-

The day before the release of the single, Sasuke found yet another threat in his inbox. This time, the person said that they were going to stop the release of the single at all costs. He was about to dismiss it, when he noticed that there was no stamp or postage mark. Noticing the clues, Sasuke could only come to one conclusion.

This person meant business.

-X-

"Wow, can you believe that our first single is going to be released tomorrow!" Tenten exclaimed with glee.

"It certainly is a surprise," Neji remarked.

"Yeah, did you hear that Haku! You should that idiot Sasuke that you're our vocalist!" Naruto exclaimed happily.

"Aa, doumo," Haku replied nodding his head.

The vocalist was still trying to get it into his head that it was actually happening. His first single ever, was going to be released. All those childish dreams he had, all the practicing he did, was going to pay off. He could only hope that the world thought so, too.

"Hey, Haku, we're going out to celebrate at the ramen shop down the street," Tenten said. "Do you want to come?"

Haku stared at them for a moment, before nodding his head and saying, "Hai."

-X-

The four continued chatting as they walked over to the ramen shop. Haku remained silent for the most part, but kept a smile on his face. After all, they were celebrating. One should be happy when celebrating.

The four didn't see the figure following them, until the person knocked Haku to the ground and started choking him violently while pulling out a switchblade from his back pocket. The other three band members scattered. Tenten ran to call the police, while Naruto and Neji tried to pry the attacker off of the vocalist unsuccessfully.

It was Neji who saved Haku from certain death. Using surprising strength, the bassist pulled Haku out of the iron grip using his waist power as an extra boost before giving the attacker a hard kick in the stomach. By then, Tenten had arrived with the police. The attacker wasted no time in escaping, several officers on his trail.

-X-

After checking to make sure Haku was okay, the four band members didn't feel like celebrating anymore. Tenten had phoned Sasuke about the incident and got a number of questions fired at her. After talking some twenty minutes, everyone came to an agreement.

That attack was connected to the threat notes.

"Haku!"

At the sound of Naruto's sudden outburst, all of the band members took a good look at Haku's forehead. It was then that the vocalist felt a warm trickle down his face.

There was blood trickling from an open wound.

**TBC…**

**Phew, I'm trying to extend the chapter lengths, but it's pretty hard. Review kudasai!**

Preview: Tenten comes up with a solution to cover up the mishap. Is the public going to buy it?


	6. Song 6

**Chapter 6. Well, I seem to get a lot of reviews asking for Haku x Sasuke, but I don't know if I'll have any romance. If there's going to be any pairings, it'll probably be on a friendship level. Enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine**

**WARNING: AU**

**PAIRINGS: Don't know, should I?**

**Song 6- Victory**

"Really Naruto, I'm okay."

"As if! You get threatened, choked, cut, and almost killed, and you say you're all right? You can't even cover up your forehead for heaven's sake!"

"Oh, Naruto, give it a rest already!"

The four band members were once again in the studio, but this time, Haku was trying to keep his newly acquired bruise and cut hidden, while Naruto was fawning over him as if he was run over by a car instead of choked.

"Haku, you can just wear a turtleneck sweater or something with a high collar," Tenten suggested. Neji breathed a small sigh of relief. Leave it to Tenten to come up with something.

"Hontou?"

"Yeah, it's low enough to be covered up." Well, that was easy. Now, about the cut; Haku's side locks were too long for him to cover it up without hair in his face.

"What about the cut?"

"Leave it to me. I know something that'll work." With that, the drummer dragged Haku out of her living room to her bedroom.

Sasuke had also come over. After getting the phone call from Tenten, he agreed that their attacker was the one threatening the band. He had only lingered to make sure Haku was all right. Even though Haku kept insisting he was fine, he had his doubts. Still, knowing the drummer, there wouldn't be much more to worry about.

"We have an interview with a TV station soon. Be ready in 15 minutes." With that, the music producer turned and left.

Naruto frowned at Sasuke's lack of concern. Then again, he had been giving Haku cold stares ever since he joined the band. This was going to be another battle _Mangetsu_ had to win.

-X-

"Here, try these," Tenten said throwing a pair of jeans, an olive green turtleneck sweater, and a blue vest. "They're the biggest I have."

"Okay," Haku replied going to the side bathroom to change.

Surprisingly, the clothes fitted him well. The sweater fitted him perfectly, and the vest was nice. Haku frowned at his reflection in the mirror. There was still the problem of covering up his cut. He couldn't leave his hair down without it getting in his face, but that cut stuck out like a sore thumb.

After looking at his reflection for a moment, Haku left the bathroom to see Tenten sitting on her bed. She stood up and took a good look at him.

"Well, it certainly suits you," she said looking him over. "Now, about the cut…"

The drummer scrounged her face in concentration before suddenly brightening up and started rummaging through her closet. She pulled out several solid colored head wraps and threw them at Haku.

"Here, pick one and try it on." Haku only stared in confusion. The drummer turned around and said, "Tie one around your forehead."

"But-"

"Do it."

-X-

The interview seemed more like a commentary than an interview. The reporter seemed more interested in performing a long speech about anything but the newly released song. Haku, Tenten, and Neji sat through the speech politely, while Naruto was falling asleep, which ended in Tenten poking him under the desk.

Unhappy about the lack of attention she was getting from Haku, she decided to poke at his newly acquired head wrap. "So, Haku, what's that wrapped around your head? A new fashion statement, or are you hiding something?"

The other three members turned to look at their vocalist hoping that Haku could maneuver his way out of this. However, Haku only smiled and said innocently, "Oh this? I don't know how it got there. Do you want to have a look?"

The presenter was taken aback at Haku's response. Pleased about Haku's combat, Naruto decided to go with the flow, and started teasing the vocalist about the black head wrap. Soon, Tenten joined in. Even Neji gave Haku's head wrap a tug. The four and their cheerful banters stole the show.

The live performance was also a hit. Haku won over many hearts with his gentle voice and delivery. Strangely enough, Haku's head wrap was a discussion no one had an answer to. It became the talk of many magazines. Reporters speculated about the reason why Haku wore it. Whether it was a stunt or not, no one could tell, which created more interest. It created publicity that not even Haku intended.

_Mangetsu_ had won the battle.

-X-

Sasuke smiled as he heard the voice he loved so much. After a hectic week, he could finally rest and hear _Asahi_ again. The CD wasn't an official recording, but the voice on it brought a happy atmosphere, never the less.

"Sasuke." The music producer abruptly halted the music and turned to stare at Haku. "I want to thank you for releasing the single. I never dreamed that I would be where I am now."

Upon hearing this, Sasuke suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Should he tell him? Should he say that he still sounded wrong? Then he shook it off. That single was Haku's and the vocalist had earned it. There was no point in dreading over the past.

"Aa, doitashimashite," he replied. Taking out the CD, he placed it in a transparent case. Closing it, he took a deep breath and said, "I… apologize for the way I've been treating you all this time. I was so upset when Sakura left that I let my prejudices blind my judgment. You sang well, and that's the kind of voice that _Mangetsu_ needs. I'm proud of your efforts."

Haku was taken aback by the sudden apology. After months of cold stares and remarks, Uchiha Sasuke was suddenly apologizing for his behavior? The feminine boy took a closer look at the music producer. This time, a sincere look graced his features. Haku smiled.

"Arigatou," he said before turning and leaving the office a new hope in his heart. Perhaps there was some possibility in the impossible.

-X-

Sasuke watched as Haku left. He stared at the spot where the vocalist once was. The boy showed tremendous effort in his singing and took things seriously, in a cheerful way. Perhaps it was luck that he was the new vocalist of _Mangetsu_. Then…

He stared at the CD in its transparent case. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't let go of the past. The single still sounded wrong to him. He saw talent, feelings, and peace in the song, but not the kind of carefree feeling he felt when he wrote it.

_"Should I tell him that it wasn't written for him?"_

**TBC…** **Well, hoped you enjoy. Review kudasai!**

Preview: An old friend returns to see Sasuke, and what is the secret behind the single?


	7. Song 7

**Okay, I'm sorry if I haven't updated in a while, but I'll really try my best! Enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine**

**WARNING: AU, OOC**

**PAIRINGS: Hm, still not sure**

**Song 7- Truth**

"Tsukareta" Naruto whined as he flopped onto the couch in a spare room.

"Naruto, move over," Tenten said exasperatedly as she desperately tried to find a spot on the couch to plop down on.

"You certainly don't sound exhausted," Haku stated with a smile.

Naruto jumped off the couch and started bouncing around Haku. After a long hectic schedule, the band could finally relax. Haku laughed quietly at the guitarist's childish behavior.

"Ne, Naruto-kun," he said.

"Hai!"

"I'm… really happy about the single." He blushed and quickly added, "I mean… it's like a dream come true for me. I'm glad Uchiha-san thought it was wonderful."

For a moment, Naruto looked like he was going to cry, but then brightened up and said, "Of course it's wonderful, Haku! You're amazing!"

"Aa, doumo."

"Come on, you two. We're going to the ramen shop to celebrate!" Tenten called.

"Hai!"

-X-

Sasuke was heading downstairs when he ran into someone familiar. Pink hair framed an angry face and angry green eyes glared at him as if he was the worst thing on Earth.

"Sasuke…"

"Sakura…"

-X-

"So Haku, what kinds of ramen do you like? I like pork ramen and miso ramen!"

"Just plain ramen is fine."

_Mangetsu_ was heading for the ramen shop again. This time, Neji was on his guard for anyone who would try to jump the band. Even though it was a time for celebration, he wasn't taken any chances.

"Oh no!"

"Nani ka?" asked Tenten.

"I left my head wrap at the studio!"

"You can go back, we'll save you a seat," Naruto said.

"Are you sure? I mean, I don't really need it now…"

"Positive," Neji interrupted ending the conversation.

-X-

"Sakura, what are you doing here?" Sasuke asked.

"I just got back," the old vocalist replied. She looked around the studio before trailing her eyes over to the cover of the _Mangetsu_ single. "It seems like you've been busy."

"I'm always busy."

"Well if that's the case then maybe I should just go!" Sakura yelled. Sasuke was taken aback at the sudden outburst.

"Nani? Sakura…"

"After our relationship went downhill, I didn't mind about us being working partners, but even after that, you always paid attention to everyone but me! And now, after all that, you're replacing me? With an even prettier girl?"

Sasuke never thought he would get into a situation where he was so helpless. Sakura had it all wrong. He loved her, and only her. She must have thought that Haku was a girl. He had to fix things before things got worse.

"Sakura, first of all, I did pay attention to you, but I also needed to make sure the rest of the band was doing their jobs. Second, no, I didn't replace you. And third, Haku is a boy," Sasuke said in the most firm, but gentle voice he had.

"Well then what about this?" Sakura demanded pointing at the _Mangetsu_ single. "You let that pretty boy sing my single?"

"I didn't have time, Tenten promised a single, so I gave them one," Sasuke argued now getting irritated by his ex-girlfriend's demands. "Besides, that single wasn't released yet."

"Not to the public! What about the band? They knew! What about your new vocalist? I bet you lied to him!"

Sasuke was at lost for words. This was true; Haku never knew that the single was never written for him. These last several months, he lived under the lie that the song was written for him. What would happen if he told the truth?

Sakura chuckled and said, "I knew you could be a jerk, Sasuke, but I never took you for a liar. I wonder what would happen if pretty boy found out…"

Sasuke glared at the girl who was heading for the door. "You wouldn't dare," he growled menacingly, a tone he never used on Sakura before.

The effect seemed to work as Sakura closed the door. Then she walked over to his desk. The CD was still there in its transparent case gathering dust. The pink-haired vocalist blew away the dust and picked up the case.

"You never threw it away?" she asked quietly.

Sasuke walked over to her and said, "No."

The music producer watched as Sakura placed the CD in the player and hit the play button. Once again, the sweet melody that the public enjoyed began to play, but this time, with Sakura's voice. Sakura stared at the player sadly before turning around.

"Be seeing you, Uchiha-san," was all she said before turning around and leaving the studio.

-X-

Sasuke stared in shock as Sakura left the studio. She had never called him by his family name. Did that mean she had left him for good? He never did, no matter how much he wanted to. He turned around at the CD player, which was still playing the single. This was bringing back heart-breaking memories that he buried deep beneath him.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

The startled Sasuke turned around to see Haku standing in the doorway his eyes full of disbelief. He was at lost for words. There was no way he could have found out!

"Momochi-san…"

"Why didn't you tell me that the single wasn't written for me?" Haku demanded using a tone he had never used before in front of Sasuke.

"I felt that you didn't need to know…"

"Need to know what? That the song was written for Haruno Sakura? I have thought of you as a jerk before, but never as a liar, Uchiha-san!"

For the first time in a long time, Sasuke truly felt helpless. He didn't want to hurt the boy, but he also couldn't escape the truth. He could only stare helplessly at the angry vocalist in front of him. Haku turned around tears brimming in his brown eyes.

"See you tomorrow," was all he said before closing the door.

**TBC…**

**Hope you enjoyed it. Review kudasai!**

Preview: The truth has leaked out into the public, but that's the least of _Mangetsu_'s worries for the time being.


	8. Song 8

**Chapter 8. Hope you enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine**

**WARNING: AU**

**PAIRINGS: Thinking about it, maybe some SasuSaku**

**Song 8- Attack** _New Single Written for Former Vocalist_

_Reports show from an overheard conversation between Uchiha Sasuke and former _Asahi _vocalist, Haruno Sakura, indicate that _Mangetsu_'s first single was actually written for Haruno Sakura!  
Reliable sources say that the single was most likely supposed to be _Asahi_'s next single, but the departure of Haruno Sakura halted the release. _

_Will Momochi Haku step out of Haruno Sakura's shadow?_

_What was Uchiha Sasuke's motive in using an old single?_

Details within! 

Sasuke frowned as he read the morning paper. How did the press get a hold of this? His conversation with Sakura was right in his office, one of the most private areas in the building. There was no way the media could get a hold of this!

At that moment, the phone rang. Sasuke picked up and checked the caller ID. It was Neji.

"Hai?"

"I heard about the media getting a hold of the truth," Neji said, "Any idea how they found out?"

"Someone must have overheard us while passing by," Sasuke replied. "The door was open a little."

"Does Haku know about this?" Neji asked.

"He does," was all Sasuke said before hanging up the phone.

That ended the conversation.

-X-

Neji decided to go look for Tenten and Naruto to see if they had heard about the media uproar, too. He didn't bother going to look for Haku only because he had decided that the poor boy was still trying to get it through his head that he had sung an old single. Neji had heard from Tenten who heard from Naruto that Haku had come home silently crying and when Naruto came to check on him, he could hear muffled sobbing behind the door.

He had turned a corner towards the music building when someone roughly grabbed his throat and pressed a knife next to his throat. He was scared stiff for a second before his defensive side kicked in. Without a second thought, the bassist elbowed his attacker in the chest. As the offending arm pulled back, the knife cut Neji's fingers. Neji hissed in pain before grabbing the attacker's right arm and performing a judo flip. He got into a fighting stance ready for his attacker to come and get him again not caring about his fingers. Instead, the mysterious attacker got up and ran down the street.

The bassist was aware of a small crowd gathering, including the security guards. He stared at his own hand, which was now bleeding freely from the knife. He licked the wounds, but the blood came back again. He had to get those clean quickly.

"Daijoubu ka?" someone asked.

"Hai," was all Neji said before he quickened his pace to the studio. He didn't want any more ambushes from masked attackers today.

-X-

"Someone attacked you?" Tenten asked with concern as she applied some medicine to Neji's bleeding fingers.

"Yeah, it was so sudden that it stalled my reaction," Neji replied trying his best to keep his fingers still. "After I flipped him, he got up and ran like a coward."

"Well, at least you're okay."

"Hn."

At that moment, Naruto and Sasuke came in both with concerned faces.

"What's going on? We heard someone was attacked," Naruto asked in a un-Naruto way.

"Apparently our mysterious attacker is back," Neji said as he tested his fingers wrapped in bandages. "He jumped me on my way here. I managed to get away, but I got cut."

"That explains it," Sasuke muttered under his breath. The three band members stared at him. He cleared his throat, and said, "This morning, I got a bunch of threats in my inbox. All of them looked as though they were written by a lunatic, but I knew the person meant it since this time, it was handwritten."

The room suddenly became deafly quiet. All four were pondering over why this anonymous person kept torturing them with sudden attacks and mysterious letters. However, the biggest question was in all four of their minds. Why did the anonymous person attack _Neji_?

It was Sasuke who broke the silence. "Hyuuga, how dark was it outside?"

"Close to sunrise," the bassist replied recalling the event in his head.

"That would mean that the sky was pretty dark, right?"

"Hai. Naze?"

Sasuke thought this out for a moment before replying. "I think that attack was meant for Momochi-san."

The three band members stared at their music producer in surprise.

"But Sasuke, it's obvious that the attacker meant what he did!" Naruto retorted.

"True, but the fact that Hyuuga was a black belt in judo was a well-known fact from the beginning. The attacker would have figure that out after the first attack. However, take note that the sky was dark and the streetlights were the only things lighting up the street. The attacker must have mistaken Hyuuga for Momochi-san, so he attacked without warning. A careless mistake."

"But Neji was carrying his bass-" Tenten began.

"- which can be easily mistaken for the guitar Momochi-san carries to practice every day."

As the other three began to digest the theory, Haku came in his guitar slung over his shoulder. He seemed better than how Naruto described he was last night.

"Sumimasen, osoku narimashita," the vocalist said quietly as he set his guitar down onto the couch. Then he caught sight of Neji's bandaged fingers and said, "Doushita no?"

"Someone jumped me on my way here," Neji replied.

"Who?"

"We don't know, but we suspect the person was after you."

Haku turned to see Sasuke. He only gave the music producer a small look before turning his attention back to Neji. Sasuke felt a tug on his heartstrings at the thought of him losing Haku's trust. Then he shook it off and continued.

"I think you should stay with one of the band members until this anonymous person is caught."

This caught _Mangetsu_ off guard. It seems that the return of Sakura had brought out a new side to Sasuke that none of them knew. Haku was surprised the most. After their argument last night, Sasuke was actually helping him?

It was Naruto who broke the silence. "Well, I wish I could let you stay over, but as you know, my apartment's kind of messy, and…"

"It's okay, Naruto," Haku said with a smile.

"My place is too far away," Tenten said.

"I'm not going to be home tonight," Neji added.

That left Haku with…

"You can stay at my apartment tonight, Momochi-san," Sasuke said.

Haku didn't want to stay with Sasuke for the night, especially after their argument, but there was no way to get out of this situation without hurting someone, so he nodded his head silently.

**TBC…** **Hoped you enjoyed it. Review kudasai!** Vocabulary

Sumimasen. Osoku narimashita- Excuse me, I'm sorry I'm late

Naze- Why

Preview: Haku learns the truth behind everything he's been missing out on


	9. Song 9

**Okay, I thought that maybe I should shed some light on the matter, so I wrote this chapter. Enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine**

**WARNING: AU**

**PAIRINGS: Thinking about it, maybe some SasuSaku, but still don't know**

**Song 9- Past**

Practice went on more quietly than usual. After it was over, Sasuke quietly drove Haku to his apartment. The ride was uncomfortable for the both of them considering their argument earlier. Haku still felt betrayed and Sasuke still felt guilty for lying to the boy. The music producer stole a glance at the feminine boy, who was looking straight ahead blankly, before turning his attention back to the steering wheel.

-X-

Haku's brown eyes widened as he enter Sasuke's apartment. The entire apartment was simple in decoration, and yet, gave off a sense of peace. It made Haku almost at ease, something he hadn't felt for the last few days.

As Haku passed by a small table, he noticed a photograph in a picture frame sitting on the table. He picked it up and examined it closely. It was a picture of Sasuke and Sakura taken at a photo booth judging by the elaborate background done only by a computer. Sakura was smiling cheekily with her arms around Sasuke's shoulders, but what caught Haku's attention was Sasuke's expression. He was relaxed and tender, there was even a genuine smile on his face. The two were close together in the picture, too close for a relationship between co-workers. It was a relationship of two people that were in love.

"Oh that…"

Haku almost dropped the picture in surprise. He suddenly remembered that he was supposed to be following Sasuke. The boy almost expected him to get angry, but instead Sasuke's expression remained blank.

"That was taken on my birthday," he said a small smile gracing his handsome face. "I remember when Sakura took me to that place. She struck that pose right before we took the picture."

"Sounded like a good birthday," Haku said as he put the picture back on the table. "You two must have been really happy together."

Sasuke pointed to a small room next to the dining room and said, "You can sleep here." As Haku set his things down on the bed, Sasuke suddenly said, "I apologize for lying about the song."

Haku turned around in surprise. Sasuke's face had a look of regret. Before he could ask any questions, though, Sasuke continued carefully.

"_Mangetsu_ promised to release a single in a couple of months. I had no choice but to use an old song that wasn't released. I understand about you feeling like you're a substitute for Sakura, but understand that I wasn't lying when I said that I was proud of your efforts."

Haku remembered the carefree melodies of the song, _Floating_, that he and the rest of the band recorded that day. When he sung the song he felt free like the wind. A thought came to mind as he hummed the melody. Is this the feeling one gets when they have a crush? Is this the reason why Sasuke wrote it for Sakura and why he said that when the first time he sang the song everything was wrong?

"Why did Sakura leave the band?" the vocalist asked.

Sasuke only said to him, "Get some rest. We have an early interview tomorrow. Be at the station by 9."

Haku only nodded as he closed the door.

-X-

After he left Haku to get some sleep, Sasuke turned back to stare at the picture that was on the table. He had remembered during those times when he and Sakura were in love. They were so young, too naïve to know that it wouldn't last. One day, Sakura had approached him saying that their relationship wasn't working, so they should remain as co-workers. Sasuke obliged knowing that maybe their love was only infatuation. Still, even after that, he still loved her, which is why he wrote the song of the carefree feelings of first love. Then, Sakura disbanded _Asahi _and left for America, leaving Sasuke pondering over why she left.

_"You can't understand me, and you never will, Sasuke."_

That was the one reason she gave him. Recalling those words made him think it over. He didn't understand why she had said that, or even be able to tell what she was thinking. She was right; he didn't understand her. Maybe their love truly was infatuation. One thing was sure, it seemed that Sakura was trying to tell him, but he didn't know.

_If I could turn back time, would I have chosen to follow her?_

This was the question that had plagued him for the last few months.

-X-

Haku slowly dawned his pajamas and brushed his teeth. His new room was comfortable, but he missed his old bed. As he got under the covers, he went over the last few weeks over in his head. From the threats to the return of Sakura, it was all going by so fast for him.

Remembering the picture of Sasuke and Sakura, Haku thought over what Sasuke had told him. It was clear that those two were in love at one point in life. He guessed that at one point, there was a downfall in their relationship, but why Sakura left _Asahi_ still remained an enigma to him and probably Sasuke and the rest of the band, too.

Then an inspiration struck him as it often did when he was younger. When he was younger, he would often make up small tunes whenever he saw something that would be worth singing about. After his stepfather rejected his dreams of being a singer, somehow, that talent had left him. When he got old enough to live on his own, the talent was still gone, until now.

Unintentionally, Haku began to hum a melody as he sang the lyrics he made up in his head.

_I remember when_

_You took me out on my birthday_

_Posing for the camera_

_As the light went off_

-X-

Near the door, Sasuke's heartstrings experienced a harsh tug as he heard the tragic melody from the room reflecting his feelings that he felt about Sakura's selfish decision.

**TBC…** **I'm sorry if that was short, but hoped you enjoy it. Review kudasai!**

Preview: Sasuke and Haku make it perfectly clear to the public about what the single is about, but is everyone going to buy it, especially the mysterious person with a knife?


	10. Song 10

**Well, I don't know how long I'm going to make this fic, but I can't believe I've already hit double digits now! Enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine**

**WARNING: AU**

**PAIRINGS: don't know**

**Song 10- Identity**

Haku went over everything he had learned that morning from Neji as _Mangetsu_, and even Sasuke, sat in front of flashing cameras and a video crew. This interview, Sasuke was going to join in to help the band sort out all the commotion. The interview was a critical one and everyone was getting nervous.

This was the first time _Mangetsu_ had accepted any interviews and the entire news crews were here. Even the normally calm and collected Neji was uncomfortably trying to move his fingers in the glove he was given to hide his cut fingers.

Immediately, when everyone was ready, the presenter went straight to the point after previewing a short clip of _Mangetsu_'s music video. "We are fortunate here, today, to have worldwide-acclaimed music producer, Uchiha Sasuke. So tell us, what's the reason behind using an old single for a new band?"

"No reason."

"Is it true that the song was written for Haruno Sakura?"

"Yes."

Haku glanced nervously at Sasuke, who remained calm. He had remembered what Tenten had warned the rest of the band about this particular reporter.

_"We have to be careful when talking to this lady. She's very crafty in getting information out of anyone. We all have to be on our guard when talking to her."_

_"How does she manipulate the people she interviews?" Haku asked._

"Yeah, unless she can control minds," Naruto added with a mocking haunting tone in his voice and with some weird gestures.

_Tenten ignored the guitarist's comment and continued, "She uses a technique where she asks a bunch of short questions that you agree or disagree with and then trips you with a different question."_

_"That means she's dangerous to our reputation," Neji figured out._

_"I agree," Sasuke added. Then glancing at the rest of the band, he said, "All of you should keep quiet. I'll do the talking."_

_"Eh?" All the members stared at Sasuke in disbelief. "You're actually **going** to this interview?"_

_"I arranged it, so I'm going. Besides, I know how to counter people like this."_

_No one could argue with that statement._

"Is _Mangetsu_ a continuation of _Asahi_?"

"No."

"Is Momochi Haku Haruno Sakura's replacement?"

The said vocalist had to fight to keep his anger under control, or he might do something drastic. However, others have had enough of all the stupid questions being thrown.

Sasuke slammed his hand on the table and said in a dangerous tone, "No, Momochi-san is **not** Sakura's replacement and never will be. I gave him an old single to sing because I believe that there was no problem releasing a perfectly good song. I wasn't going to let prejudices get in the way. I believe that Momochi-san did a good job and that's all that matters. I may have intended the song for Sakura, but Momochi-san sung it well enough to convince me that the single was his alone."

No one, not even Haku, had saw that coming. Sasuke had never shown his opinions out in public before, and yet, here he was telling one of the craftiest presenters in news history exactly what he was thinking. Needless to say, _Mangetsu_ was glad for the cold music producer's words.

The reporter had caught her balance and said, "Uchiha-san, you've been producing music for _Asahi_ as well as _Mangetsu_, right?"

"Yes," Sasuke replied icily and with a dangerous aura surrounding him.

"Then that must mean the fans are going to be expecting similar music from _Asahi_, perhaps more unreleased singles…"

That did it. Haku jumped out of his seat his beautiful face now scrounged up in anger. He never enjoyed reporters much, but this lady has made him reach the end of his patience.

"What do you know?" he yelled startling everyone. "You're not working for Sasuke or any of us! Sasuke knows this song better than anyone present in this room and he already stated the facts, so quit playing games around here! _Mangetsu_ and Sasuke works hard to give the fans good music and that's that! Cut all the crap you've been doing with other music artists!"

The reporter was taken aback. She had expected for anyone **but** Momochi Haku to make such an outburst. What was even more surprising, Haku had said "Sasuke" instead of "Uchiha-san", as how he did in other interviews. Still, the vocalist was right; Sasuke had stated not opinions or excuses, but facts. She had to admit, the song was incredible.

As Haku sat down in a mad huff, Naruto was grinning cheekily with pride and amusement, Tenten was shaking from forcing herself not to giggle, and Neji cocked a smirk at the reporter.

_Mangetsu_ had won another battle.

-X-

Outside of the building, _Mangetsu_ and Sasuke were met by more reporters and fans. Many of the fans, who had saw the interview on TV, was cheering Haku for his outburst. As the five made their way to the waiting car, Haku and Sasuke were blocked by two reports, while Neji, Tenten, and Naruto made it to the car. As Sasuke began answering their questions, Haku looked around nervously.

_"Something's not right,"_ Haku thought to himself as he got closer to the car. As his brown eyes scanned the crowd, he caught sight of the mysterious attacker. The flash of light reflecting off something metal told Haku that this time, the attacker wasn't going to be playing games anymore. Haku looked around frantically as how to warn Sasuke of the approaching danger. As the knife got closer, Haku could only brace himself.

-X-

Sasuke only had half a second to react when a knife came near him. He grabbed the attacker's wrist and pulled him forward knocking him off balance. Regaining his balance, the attacker started going for Haku. The vocalist dodged the first stab and grabbed the wrist the second time. He pried the knife out of the attacker's hands and after closing it, threw it aside. Remembering the tutorial Neji gave him this morning, Haku grabbed his attacker's right arm and using his weight against his opponent, performed his best judo flip on the attacker.

"Haku!"

The said vocalist looked up from staring down at the mysterious attacker to see the rest of _Mangetsu_ running towards him. Upon hearing the commotion, the three had fought their way through the crowd to help their fellow member.

"Daijoubu ka?" Tenten asked.

"Hai, daijoubu," Haku replied dusting himself off.

As people in the crowd held the perpetrator down, Sasuke grabbed the black mask the mysterious attacker was wearing, and with one tug, pulled it off. What all five of them saw was the biggest surprise ever. Pink hair framed a pretty face that now had a bruise with green eyes shut from the pain.

"Sakura…"

The said pink-haired vocalist only glared at Sasuke, and said, "I knew it would be better if I left, and after this, I think I was right. All of you really don't care for me, do you?"

With that, Sakura turned around and fought her way through the crowd to escape, leaving the band staring in surprise.

**TBC…**

**Phew! I wonder how many more chapters I should do. Review kudasai! **

Preview: After the mishap, Haku suddenly turns up with something new for _Mangetsu_…


	11. Song 11

**Chapter 11. Enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine**

**WARNING: AU**

**PAIRINGS: probably eventual SasuSaku**

**Song 11- Composition**

"I still can't believe Sakura-chan would do this!" Naruto exclaimed as he flopped onto the couch.

"It would seem obvious since Haku joined _Mangetsu_," Neji said. "She's jealous."

"Why would she be jealous?" Tenten asked. "I mean, from how she was glaring at Sasuke, it's clear that he's the one that she wants to murder him."

"It's probably a misunderstanding," Haku only said before turning back to what he was doing.

As the other three continued to talk over all the theories to Sakura's behavior, Haku was busy singing a melody over and over in his head while writing down all the harmony parts. After the sudden commotion after the interview, he and Sasuke went straight to Sasuke's apartment. There, Haku unintentionally started asking more questions about Sasuke's relationship with Sakura. The music producer had answered them all, except for the biggest question that even he didn't know the answer: Why did Sakura leave the band?

"Haku. What are you doing?"

The said vocalist quickly covered up his work and said, "It's just another tuning of mine."

"Really? Let me try what you got," Naruto said.

"Well, it-it's not exactly done," Haku stuttered looking at the sheet of papers wedged between his book.

"Oh, that's fine, we don't mine."

"Well, okay, here."

Looking at the guitar part, the guitarist started side-reading the notes. As he started playing, everyone got a sense of someone wondering why their companion left them. Thinking of something that would probably fit in with the guitar part, Neji picked up his bass and started playing along. Tenten, pleased with what both boys were doing, played a steady on the drums. After about three more measures, for the first time in both _Asahi_'s and _Mangetsu_'s history, they heard a keyboard playing along.

As _Mangetsu_ finished the song, Tenten said, "Wow, Haku, not bad. How did you do that?"

"I do this whenever I see something worth singing about," Haku replied shrugging his shoulders. "It's a talent I lost a long time ago."

"Well, not only that, but I didn't know you knew piano as well."

"I learned piano before guitar."

"So, where are the lyrics?" Neji asked.

"Well, here, you can look."

The other three gathered around the single sheet of paper. On it was the saddest lyrics they had ever seen. It sounded so foreign, and yet, so familiar.

"You should show this to Sasuke. It could be our second single," Naruto suggested.

Haku's brown eyes widened before he said, "Well, maybe after I finish it, but I heard he was already writing us a single as well."

"Oh yeah," Tenten said remembering about the sheets of music the producer had given to her earlier. "He said he had been working on this one for a while now and wanted us to use it as our second single."

"Souka…" Haku muttered as he looked over the score.

"Still, maybe he wouldn't mind if we released two singles," Neji added. "After all, with all the rumors about us circling around, Uchiha would want that to all quiet down."

"Neji's right, Haku, you should show this to Sasuke. It's a work of art."

"Um, okay."

-X-

Haku never enjoyed showing his work to anyone, even the ones close to him. It often was because of a fear of rejection that he often had when he thought his stepfather wouldn't be pleased. Sometimes, he would ask someone to edit his essay papers in high school, but that was about it.

Even so, Haku nervously handed Sasuke his so-called "tuning".

"What is this?" he asked.

"Just something I came up with for a future single," Haku replied shifting from one foot to another. "The others thought it was nice, so they asked me to show it to you."

Sasuke looked over the composition, noting that the combination of notes weren't all that professional, but when he saw the lyrics, he decided that maybe it was worth something after all. He had to fight to keep a straight face when he pictured the melody in his head.

"I will make adjustments to the compositions before giving it to you four to practice," he said his eyes not leaving the paper.

Haku could not believe his ears. That was only something he came up with over a week's period and it was going to be used as a single! This was definitely a dream come true for him!

"Oh, Uchiha-san."

_So it's back to formalities, huh?_ "Hai?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Hn."

"Would you be happy if Haruno-san joined _Mangetsu_?"

Sasuke looked up from the sheets. That wasn't what he expected. Yes, he would be happy. After all, Sakura was the kind of person he liked, and the kind of singer the world need. However, being a person of few words, all he said was, "No."

"I see…"

Noting the small tone of disappointment and rejection in the boy's voice, Sasuke decided to try and rethink over his words. As Haku turned to leave, Sasuke made up his mind and said, "Momochi-san, your song certainly sounds nice as it is already. And I didn't say that I would prefer Sakura out of my life forever."

This wasn't something Haku was used to since before, everything he made was considered junk by others, but never the less, he nodded in gratitude before leaving the office. Yes, there definitely was possibility in the impossible…

-X-

As the vocalist left his office, Sasuke couldn't help but feel that he somehow knew the feeling he was getting from the song. Then it hit him; it was the feeling of someone you cared for suddenly leaving you. Could it have been that Haku had figured out his feelings from the beginning?

**TBC… Sorry if it was too short. Review kudasai!**

Preview: Haku decides to pay a visit to an old acquaintance with a present


	12. Song 12

**Wow, I can't believe I've gotten this far! I'd be out celebrating, but I'm going to finish this first! Enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: Never will be mine**

**WARNING: AU**

**PAIRINGS: Hm, still don't know**

**Song 12- Visit**

Practicing the song turned out to be easier for _Mangetsu_ as they were the ones who contributed the scores that fitted each other's parts. After fine-tuning it, Sasuke gave the final scores to the band to practice. Once again, Haku put his whole heart into perfecting the song playing his part on the keyboard to make sure he was on pitch.

What made the song so special was not only the newly added keyboard part, but the fact that not only was Haku singing, but the rest of the band was singing harmony parts, something that neither _Asahi_ nor _Mangetsu_ had ever tried before. To get everyone's voices up to standards, Sasuke went over their parts with them one by one making them sing their part with Haku playing their parts on the keyboard correcting their pitch when necessary.

Surprisingly, _Mangetsu_ was ready for recording in an astounding one month ahead of schedule. Once again, _Mangetsu_ was rushed off to recording, but this time, the studio wasn't prepared for the band to be ready so early, which lead to some problems that were later taken care of. Upon hearing that the second single was ready to go early, the reporters kept coming asking the band and Sasuke if it was going to be released early and accidentally said in the news that it would be. Sasuke, however, firmly kept his descision to release the second single with the third single that he had written and later cleared up the mishaps at an interview.

Needless to say, _Mangetsu_ was going to show to the world that they were not a continuation of _Asahi_ and they never will be.

-X-

"You want to do what?" Naruto cried out in surprise.

"Um, Haku, I don't think that's a good idea," Tenten said.

"She won't like it," Neji agreed dryly.

Haku felt like he got a bad case of the blues as his fellow members rejected his idea. After asking Sasuke more questions about Sakura and remembering Sakura's outburst after the interview, Haku decided that the two had to make up. One was sulking and the other thought that the other was the worst person alive. To be honest, Haku never liked these kinds of situations and always wanted to help.

"Please guys, can you at least tell me where Haruno-san lives?" the vocalist pleaded.

The rest of _Mangetsu_ exchanged glances. Apparently, only Sasuke knew where Sakura lived, and even then, she might have moved after she had left the band.

"Well, if you want to know, you should ask Uchiha," Neji suggested jerking his head towards the general direction of the producer's office before going back to fingering his bass part for the third single they were working on.

-X-

"You want me to tell you what?" Sasuke asked in surprise.

"Can you please tell me where Haruno-san lives, Uchiha-san?" Haku asked as politely as he could.

"And why do you want to know where Sakura lives, Haku?"

"Because I want to talk to her about why she left the band."

The cold producer took that as a surprise, but said, "It's pointless. She wouldn't even tell me, do you think she's going to tell you of a people?"

Haku remembered hearing the rest of _Mangetsu_ say the same thing, but continued insisting. "Please, Uchiha-san. I know that Haruno-san hasn't said a work about her reason for leaving even to you and I know it's been hard especially on you, so I thought that maybe I should try get the truth."

Sasuke didn't know how Haku found out about that, but he reluctantly decided to at least give the vocalist a shot seeing as Haku didn't want to back down on this one. After writing down the address on a slip of paper along with the name of a place and handing it to the vocalist, he said, "Don't count it on being the right address, though. Sakura might have moved for all I know. If she's not there, try this bar. I remember Tenten or Naruto telling me that they saw her performing there."

"Thank you."

-X-

Haku adjusted his hat one more time before leaving the building Sakura's address in hand. This was going to take a while seeing as he didn't know the neighborhood that well. He had politely asked Naruto general directions to the residence, but not even the guitarist knew where it was. He ended up asking directions from a kind woman sweeping the sidewalk.

Walking to the train station to take the next train, Haku's nerves didn't loosen up as he imagined as to how the old vocalist might welcome him. From his impressions, she probably would slam the door in his face. However, he had an obligation to fulfill, and he wasn't going to back down yet. As he paid for the ticket, he glanced down at the small wrapped-up gift he was going to bring.

He could only hope that Haruno Sakura would accept.

-X-

_Ah, here it is._ Haku jogged up the few flights of stairs and counted the number plates before he finally reaching the right apartment. The vocalist sighed in disappointment as he noticed that the nameplate didn't say "Haruno". Instead, it said "Yamanaka". Upon hearing the name, Haku remembered something Naruto had said when Tenten said that they were looking for a female vocalist.

_"Besides, it was either Haku or Yamanaka Ino."_

_Maybe this Yamanaka Ino would know where this bar is._ Ringing the doorbell, Haku waited for an answer, but no one answered the door. As he was about to leave, the door opened revealing a blonde female with blue eyes.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi, um, I'm kind of lost," Haku said trying to act as out of character as possible. Pulling out the paper, he asked, "Do you know where this place is?"

The blonde took a look at the name of the bar written on the paper and said with a frown, "Yeah I know where this place is. I don't see why you would go there since it's full of weird people, but it's over there next to the department store. Take a left and keep going straight, you can't miss it."

"Hai, arigatou gozaimasu," Haku replied nervously. _I'm not good with girls…_

As Haku turned to leave, the blonde scratched her head trying to figure out why the stranger looked so familiar.

-X-

Following the blonde's directions, Haku didn't miss the bright sign with the name of the bar, _Moonlight Shadow_, written in Japanese at the top and English below in smaller letters. Taking a deep breath, Haku walked over to the bar clutching the paper tightly. After showing his ID verifying that he was over 20 years old to the front door keeper, he pulled the door open.

The bar was fairly decent and quite dark. All around were round tables with lighted candles in the center of each table. Waiters came by serving wine, beer, and other drinks. Cigarettes were lit making Haku cough from the stench. In front of the tables and the small bar was a stage where musicians and singers performed to entertain the people.

Sitting down at a small table, Haku waited patiently while trying to fan off the cigarette smell. Haku checked his watch. If what Sasuke told him was correct, Sakura's performance would be on soon. On cue, the pink-haired vocalist appeared on stage dressed in a pink shirt and jeans. Signaling the piano player, she started singing one of _Asahi_'s oldest songs, _Soyokaze_.

_Soyokaze_ sounded exactly as the name implied. It was soft and sweet, like a breeze, and talked about the feelings of finding your one true love. It certainly matched the pink-haired vocalist's voice.

_She really is a gifted singer. Much better than I am,_ Haku thought to himself as he watched Sakura bring music to the bar. _I can see why Uchiha-san didn't approve of me singing her single._

-X-

Sakura took a bow before walking off stage. What a drag, she quits the band, she gets a job at a bar, and she's still singing songs long forgotten by the general public. The pay was nearly minimum wage, and at this rate, she was going to lose her apartment.

As she left the bar through the back door, she ran into a familiar face. Her green eyes narrowed upon seeing the long black hair and soft brown eyes. She knew that face better than anyone.

"What do you want?" she growled.

"I need to ask you something," Haku replied calmly.

**TBC…**

**Well, that was quite long. Oh well, review kudasai!**

Preview: Sakura reveals the reason why she left _Asahi_, or does she?


	13. Song 13

**Chapter 13. Wow, I'm on fire! This is definitely a record! Enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine**

**WARNING: AU**

**PAIRINGS: Still thinking about SasuSaku**

**Song 13- Reason**

"I need to ask you something," Haku replied calmly.

"Well, I don't want to talk to you," Sakura said and tried to leave, but Haku grabbed her wrist. The girl struggled to free herself, but to no avail. "Let go!"

"Please, Haruno-san, why did you leave _Asahi_?"

"That's none of your business!"

"It may not be mine, but it's the band's!"

Sakura turned around to stare at the _Mangetsu_ vocalist. The seemingly meek boy was now surrounded with an aura of confidence and determination. _He certainly has changed. Being around the band certainly has boosted his confidence._ Still, she wouldn't tell him anything.

"Why should I tell you anything? I didn't even tell Uchiha. Now let go!"

"I'm not letting you go until you tell me!" Haku argued back keeping a firm grip on Sakura's wrist.

"Well, you're not going to get it out of me even if you kidnap me and torture me with a chainsaw!" Sakura declared. "Now let go!"

"I'm not letting go!"

"And why not?"

"Because I speak for not only Sasuke, but for the members of _Asahi_ and _Mangetsu_," Haku replied in a tone that was so cold, it could rival Sasuke's. It was clear that the patient vocalist was through giving the former _Asahi_ member any chances. "You left everyone hanging with your selfish desires without any reason at all, and until you tell me why it was so, I'm not going anywhere."

Sakura knew that when Haku was serious about anything that had to do with the cold producer, he'd drop the formality and say "Sasuke". Knowing that there wasn't any way she'd be able to get out of this, she said, "Okay, follow me."

-X-

Haku calmly followed Sakura away from the bar his nerves settling down slightly. Rarely did ever use that tone with anyone, unless he truly was serious. He had surprised even himself with the tone.

The vocalist had only noticed then that they were heading for Sakura's apartment. Surprisingly, it was close to the bar. Climbing up the two flights of stairs, Haku realized that the apartment was only a floor down from Yamanaka Ino's apartment. It seems that Sasuke had put down the wrong number.

As the two vocalists entered the apartment, Haku noticed that Sakura's apartment was plainly decorated instead of lavishly as Haku had thought. It must have been due to the fact that Sakura was rarely home and because of her income. The vocalist couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl. She had lost everything when she left _Asahi_ and she knew it, so why did she leave?

"Do you want something to drink, Momochi-san?" Sakura asked.

"Oh, no thank you, Haruno-san," Haku replied hastily.

The pink-haired vocalist chuckled quietly and said, "You can call me Sakura if you want to."

As Haku settled in, he took time to gaze at a ripped-off photograph framed in a pink frame in the shape of a heart that was on the small table. It was then the boy realized that it was the same photograph that Sasuke had in his apartment, except that the half where Sasuke was had been ripped out.

"Oh that," Sakura said startling Haku, "it was taken on Sasuke's-"

"-birthday, I know, Haruno-san," Haku finished. "Uchiha-san showed me that when I visited his apartment." Then becoming curious about Sasuke cut out, he asked, "Why is Uchiha-san cut out there?"

_I thought this was going to be tense, but somehow, it seems so calm and casual._ Sakura took a deep breath and gathered up her thoughts before replying, "After I left the band, I wanted to forget him, so I ripped it up."

"Well, he hasn't forgot about you, nor has he ripped up his picture," Haku said with a small frown. "If there was something that made you so upset that you went so far as to try forget anything to do with your life with _Asahi_, please tell me. Uchiha-san and _Mangetsu_ deserve to know."

"No they don't, and neither do you," Sakura argued.

"Of course I don't since I was still performing in a bar when you four broke up, but I came here so that everyone you left can hear your reason behind it."

"I still won't tell you-"

"Then why did you bring me here?" Haku demanded now getting serious.

Sakura was taken aback by his serious tone. _Maybe this wasn't going to be so casual_. She cleared her thoughts and tried to gather them together. The boy was right. Everyone she left had to know the reason. She had left without saying anything even to Sasuke, which almost cost everyone their jobs.

"Okay… I left because… I felt that the band didn't want me as their vocalist anymore."

Haku knew that he should have pity on the girl, but after getting to know how much her leaving had hurt the band, anger began to rise inside of him. Not want her anymore? The entire band had fallen apart for months before reuniting as _Mangetsu_ thanks to her! How can she say that she felt that _Asahi_ didn't want her anymore?

"How can you say that?" he asked. "How can you say that when you were the reason the band split up?"

"The reason the band split up was because they couldn't find another vocalist in time for the release of our seventh single-"

"-which was caused by you leaving!" Haku argued back. "I'm starting to think that you're not really who you are the way you sing your songs! You sing about first love and sincerity, but you're just a spoiled princess!"

"How do you know? You don't even know me that well!" Sakura shouted.

Haku knew that he was going to lose it if he continued shouting, so he took a deep breath before giving his reply calmly, "Because, **Sakura**, I was raised learning that the most successful bands depend on one another and help each other. Can you truly do that for the members you left in _Asahi_ and Uchiha-san, or will you just depend on them? If not, then I don't see why I even came here to ask if you want to come to the concert release of _Mangetsu_'s second and third singles."

Sakura was taken aback by such wise words coming from a boy whom she thought was the one that was dependent. He was right; she was acting like a baby always depending on the other members and Sasuke. It was no wonder that they all started to resent her. Besides, thanks to her foolish choice, she was stuck performing old songs in front of drunks and everyone almost lost their jobs.

As Haku turned to leave, the pink-haired vocalist noticed that he had left a wrapped-up box and an envelope behind. "If you want to see what they have to say and tell them your side of the story, please come to the concert. They all deserve to know, not me."

With that, Haku turned and left the apartment, leaving Sakura to ponder over the words spoken to her, but not before saying, "Oh, and be sure to tell them the truth."

-X-

Sakura was in a daze as the _Mangetsu_ vocalist closed the door. She had never thought about how much of a princess she had been during her time with _Asahi_. It was only now that the pink-haired vocalist realized that she had to get her head out of the gutter and stand on her own two feet, like her mother told her.

_"Sakura, you have to learn to take responsibility, and that includes telling the truth."_

The girl picked up the envelope and ripped it open. Inside was a ticket to the next _Mangetsu_ concert in two weeks and a backstage pass. _A pass? Weird._ Setting those things aside, Sakura hesitated as she picked up the package. On it was a note.

_I found this in Naruto's apartment. The other one was from Sasuke._

"_Whatever,"_ Sakura thought as she ripped off the wrapping paper. What was wrapped-up gave her heartstrings a hard tug.

It was a picture of _Asahi_ framed in a frame that said "Aloha". The four had gone on a vacation trip to Hawaii and had the blast of their life. In the picture, Naruto was doing his best to bump a beach ball with Sakura jumping up to spike it over the net and Tenten coming out of the water. In the background, Neji was sitting on a beach towel reading a book. It didn't seem to mean much, but to her, it meant much more than a thousand words.

Sakura noticed that there was another framed picture. She picked that up to see a picture of Sasuke taken on the streets next to the music building framed in a silver frame with hearts surrounding it. He wasn't in that business suit that he always wore, but in a casual shirt and sweatpants. The normally cold producer had a smile on his face, the look that he only gave to her.

Even though they were simple, they both meant the same thing.

_"We miss you."_

**TBC…**

**Phew, this is slowly coming to an end. Sorry if Haku was OOC, but I notice that in the anime, he has those cold-hearted moments. Review kudasai!**

Preview: Sakura decides to come to the concert, and here's what the people she left behind have to say…


	14. Song 14

**Whoo! Last chapter! I'm very sorry, but my skills in writing songs suck, which is why I'll always remain a fan of pop music and a classical amateur musician. Enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine**

**WARNING: AU, OOC**

**PAIRINGS: well, I don't know if you'd consider this pairings**

**Song 14- Mangetsu**

"So, Haku, how did it go?" Tenten asked. The vocalist looked up from practicing his keyboard part with a confused look. "Did you see Sakura again?"

_Yes, I did._ However, Haku didn't want to tell them that Sakura might be attending the concert, so he said, "I saw her, but I missed her in the crowd." _Not a lie, but not the truth either._

"Oh."

"So Haku…"

As the conversation between the band members of _Mangetsu_ continued, little did they know that a pair of dark eyes was watching them.

-X-

Sasuke looked up from his paperwork at the sound of the door opening. Haku was standing in the doorway an inquisitive look on his feminine face.

"You wanted to see me, Uchiha-san?" he asked.

Sasuke put down his pen and said, "Why did you lie to the rest of the band?" Haku's brown eyes widened in horror upon hearing those words. Assuming that he wouldn't get a straight answer, Sasuke continued, "I can tell that you did run into Sakura, but you didn't miss her as you let the others believe. I'm disappointed; I'd thought you wouldn't have tried to lie after we had lied to you."

Haku suddenly found the ground interesting. After getting his thoughts together, he spoke, "Yes, I did run into Haruno-san. She was at the bar as Tenten and Naruto knew."

"How come you lied to the band?" Sasuke asked again. "You told me that you never took me as a liar before. Well, the same goes here for you."

"I didn't lie, I just didn't tell them the whole truth-"

"-Which is the same thing as lying. Momochi-san, you might as well tell them if there's something that they should know. Didn't you go find Sakura in order to find out the reason why she left the band? If you figured it out, please tell them."

Haku didn't want to tell Sasuke or _Mangetsu_, not when Sakura could come and tell them herself. He also didn't want them to worry about Sakura possibly being there. Still…

He took a deep breath and said, "I invited Haruno-san to the next concert. Whether she wants to tell you the truth and make up or not is now up to her."

Sasuke was shocked at Haku's actions. The _Mangetsu_ vocalist had **invited** the person that had made everyone's lives, especially Haku's, miserable for months? Not to mention… he didn't know if he could ever face the former _Asahi_ vocalist again.

As the boy headed for the door, Sasuke asked, "Why did you invite her? She might cause more trouble."

"I thought that you all should get a chance to catch and for you two to make up. You, after all, love her."

"No, I don't, not anymore," said Sasuke in a quiet voice. "But, yes, I'd like to catch up."

"Then, can you do me a favor?" Haku asked.

-X-

The concert and the release of the two singles were fast approaching and _Mangetsu_'s schedule was packed. After recording the third single, _Vacation_, the band was rushed off from photo shoots to practicing in the theater they were going to be performing with little time to rest. This time, though, Sasuke managed to get the more persistent reporters away from asking any more questions saying that if they want to know about the songs and the concert, they should come and see it for themselves.

In the midst of all that, Haku was hoping that Sakura would attend the concert. After hearing Sakura's reason, he knew that she was lying because of reasons unknown. Still, he shouldn't get his hopes up too high. When he saw the way she was glaring at him, there was a near impossibility that she won't come.

-X-

_Mangetsu_ couldn't hide their nervousness as they waited backstage in their costumes for the performance to begin. The tension was building up as the four members prayed that their new style was going to work. Everything they had worked on was coming down to this, and they were going to make sure that they weren't skipping a single beat.

This was their moment to shine as _Mangetsu_, and they were going to take it.

-X-

Sakura nervously adjusted her hood as she sat in her seat in the auditorium. After going through a bunch of second thoughts, she decided to take Haku's offer and come to the concert. What harm could that cause? To keep her out of eye's range, she had dressed in clothes that would normally make her uncomfortable, but she knew that the whole band would be able to catch her in a crowd if she dressed the way she normally did.

Besides, she owed them, all of them, the favor. Even though she didn't care much for Momochi Haku, she cared for everyone else that used to make up _Asahi_. Maybe, if she had the courage, she'll put her backstage pass to use and go see the others, catch up on their lives, and maybe… _no, I won't._

The crowd began to cheer as the lights began to dim. Sakura remained quiet waiting for the band to come out. As the stage lights began to light up, she noticed that there were four microphones instead of only one. There was also an electric keyboard next to the drum set.

_Wait, that's not right. Only Momochi Haku is supposed to be singing, right? And what's with the keyboard?_

The crowd began to scream as _Mangetsu_ came onstage dressed in street clothes. Sakura giggled as she saw Naruto put on a goofy grin and wave to the crowd. Her green eyes turned as Tenten sat at the drum set. Neji didn't even try to crack a smile as he strapped on his bass. Then there was Haku putting on a soft smile before sitting down next to the keyboard.

The first song, _Vacation_, won many hearts in the audience, Sakura included. It sounded like a free tune, something that she could have once in a while. The melody sounded like going to a relaxing place like Hawaii or a day at the beach in Okinawa. Maybe that's why Sasuke wrote it; Sakura always knew that he rarely took days off.

"Minna-san! We're going to show you our new style as _Mangetsu_!" Naruto called into the microphone.

_New style?_

To Sakura's surprise, Haku started playing a moderate melody on the keyboard. Tenten joined in with a soft beat to give the rhythm followed by Neji on bass. Naruto tapped his foot to the beat to make sure he knew when his cue was. Then, a voice that Sakura had never heard before began to sing.

_I remember when_

_You took me out on my birthday_

_Posing for the camera_

_As the light went off_

Sakura gasped as the Uchiha Sasuke stepped onstage dressed in all black attire and holding a microphone. She wasn't the only one; millions of fans knew about the good-looking music producer, but never that he could actually _sing_. _Mangetsu_ gave the audience no time for recovery as Sasuke continued to sing.

_As the Chrysanthemums burst in bloom_

_We walked home hand in hand_

_Hoping for something to appear_

On the last line, Haku joined in. Sakura almost felt a pang of jealousy. Wait, that couldn't be, she had gotten over Sasuke a long time ago. The song left no time for her to pull her thoughts together as Haku started singing.

_Gold petals surrounded us as we kissed_

_I felt that they were raining gold coins_

_Falling from heaven as a gift from God_

_I remember when_

_We sang together_

_In a dark room_

_The others singing along_

_The moon lighted the sky as we left_

_Walking home hand in hand_

_The stars twinkling above us giving light_

_Overlapping a dark night sky_

In the last line, Naruto joined in. Sakura was surprised at how well the blonde guitarist could sing despite his annoying voice that he spoke with. She had always thought that he was never cut to be a singer no matter how hard he tried, but then again, Naruto always sets his mind to things that he wants to do.

_The snowflakes drifted by as we left_

_Going to sing for everyone we loved_

_Many fell on the ground_

_One, however, landed between our hands_

In a set of strong voices, all five of them began to sing the chorus.

_These memories bring back_

_Smiles and tears to my face_

_I wish that we could relive them_

_Together, as we were before_

If Sakura was astound to see Naruto and Sasuke actually singing, she was even more shocked when everyone started singing. This was something that she had never done with _Asahi _before, why with _Mangetsu_? Then again, there were many rumors about the band, especially when it leaked out that Haku's first single was actually written for her. Sasuke probably changed the style, so that it showed that _Mangetsu_ was not _Asahi_.

Neji started the second verse with a voice that seems to make the audience scream. He had always been one of the most popular members in both _Asahi_ and _Mangetsu_ by looks alone, and now, by voice.

_I remember when_

_You told me that day_

_You wanted us to be_

_Only friends_

_The pink petals fell as I heard it_

_Understanding your words_

_Knowing that nothing will change_

_Between the two of us_

Tenten joined in on the last line. She was using a head speaker because she still was at the drum set, but she managed to sing perfectly with Neji. The drummer took over.

_Life went on like the seasons_

_Despite that, I still loved you_

_However, you didn't that way_

_So I left it alone, like a memory_

Sakura was starting to the feeling that this was familiar to her despite the fact that she had never heard the song before. _Come on, Sakura! Think! Why does this sound so familiar? What was Sasuke thinking when he wrote the song?_

_These memories bring back_

_Laughter and joy to my face_

_I wish that we could relive them_

_Together, as we were before_

The pink-haired vocalist still didn't get why Haku invited her to this concert, but whatever it was, it was getting her nowhere. However, the music slowed down, and the third verse sung by Sasuke pulled all the pieces together.

_I remember when_

_You told me that_

_That I'll never understand you_

_And left me forever_

So that's what they were trying to tell her! Haku had already told it to her face, but it was another story when the former members of _Asahi_ said so, in a song! Everyone was trying to say that they missed her, especially for what she did to them. Sakura gripped onto to the backstage pass that Haku gave him. Maybe she'll put it to good use after all.

_These memories bring back_

_Smiles and tears to my face_

_I wish that we could relive them_

_Together, as we were before_

-X-

Sasuke finished the last note as the audience screamed and clapped. Next to him, _Mangetsu_ was waving madly to the crowd. They had done it; _Mangetsu_ was no longer in the shadows of _Asahi_! The fans had accepted the new style as awesome and the concert became a hit.

_So she didn't come after all…_

The whole time he was singing, his black eyes were searching the audience hoping to find Sakura, but he couldn't find the pink-haired vocalist. His hopes of everyone talking everything over with her dropped away.

Sasuke followed _Mangetsu_ off stage and to the dressing rooms where Naruto loudly proclaimed that they had rocked the house and that they should all go out for ramen to celebrate. Tenten, for once, agreed, and Neji even nodded his head. Haku said that it sounded like fun.

At that moment, the door was pushed open and in stepped a familiar face. Sasuke's black eyes widened at the girl holding a backstage pass and wearing dark clothes.

"Sakura…"

The pink-haired vocalist nodded her head. "That was beautiful, _Mangetsu_, Uchiha-san. Momochi-san, I'm sorry for causing you trouble. It won't happen again in the near future."

Sasuke couldn't believe that he was hearing these things. Haruno Sakura was actually apologizing to the one person who replaced her?

Sakura to Sasuke and said, "I'm sorry that I don't love you anymore."

"That's all right, Sakura, I don't either," was all the music producer said his face calm.

_Mangetsu_ watched as the former couple sort things out. This was surprisingly going well. Haku allowed a small smile grace his face. _I'm glad that they finally get to make up at least_.

"You were right, Momochi-san," Sakura said. "I think I relied on everyone too much. Bands do rely on each other, and they help each other in return."

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto said softly.

"Maybe I will come back someday, but for now, I'll go and see where Momochi-san learned such a thing. I think that it might be valuable in anything."

With that, the pink-haired vocalist walked out of her old life, maybe for good this time.

-X-

Sasuke strangely felt as though a boulder had been lifted off his shoulders. He couldn't believe that Haku had set it all up for him and _Mangetsu_. The question was, why? Why had Haku done that? The question had been nagging him several days after the concert. He was relieved that the new style had taken the fans by storm, but it was still nagging him.

The question wasn't only nagging him; it was nagging the rest of _Mangetsu_. While they had been happy to make up with Sakura after all this time, they still couldn't process a logical answer to the question. Haku sure had this knack of surprising them when they least expected.

Finally, they plucked up the courage to ask, "Haku, why did you want Sakura make up with everyone?"

Haku looked at him with a soft, but confident look. It was something that the vocalist didn't have in the beginning of _Mangetsu_. Had being with Naruto and the other have changed him so much that he became attached to them?

"Because, Uchiha-san, you're all my family, and I think that you all should have let go before moving on," was the only reply he got.

No one spoke a word to the reply, but Haku understood what they were trying to say.

_Haku, thank you._

**Owari.**

**Phew, I'm finally done! This was the longest chapter fic that I ever made! Whoo! I hope you all enjoyed this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. Now, I will go curl up in a corner and brainstorm. Until then, ja ne!**


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